This was our night to go to the Dayton Labor Day rodeo and I did not want
weather getting in my way. Friday’s
rodeo was held in pouring rain, and we didn’t go Saturday, so today was our
chance to go. Allie came back for the weekend and tonight she wanted to join us
and go to the rodeo. She came to the house awhile to see everyone.
On Instagram, Jayden has been following Fallon Taylor, famous NFR qualifier, PRCA barrel racer, and former model. She gives me almost daily updates on what Fallon is doing, where she is hauling, what she is selling, her latest fashion line, her horses, etc. You get the idea, she is a huge fan. Around 4:00 Jayden ran in to tell me Fallon posted she is on her way to Dayton. The excitement began. I told her to print a photo of her in case we can find her and get an autograph. Jayden texted Makenna, who was just as excited and ended up going with us. We were on a mission to find Fallon, but we had to be cool about it. The whole family got to the rodeo grounds an hour and half before it started. We had to stake out our same spot and hold it with lawn chairs. Then we ate some supper from the vendors at the top of the hill. The boys stayed with Mark while us girls went looking. Allie, Makenna, Jayden, and I casually walked through the contestants trailers. The girls spotted Fallon’s trailer and got all excited. Her horse, “Baby Flo” was still in the trailer. I told them most likely she is paying her entries. By this time it was about 15 minutes until rodeo start time. At the bridge there was a hospitality tent for contestants, and Jayden grabbed my arm and squealed, “there she is!” Jayden and Makenna were so giddy and excited, yet neither one of them was brave enough to go over and say something. After the BIG BOOM, Dayton always shoots off 5 minutes before the rodeo, I went over and asked if she would autograph for the girls. She was very bubbly and said, “Absolutely”. She was super sweet and friendly. I video taped the conversation and the girls were speechless. She asked them their horses name and gave them each a hug. I have been a fan of Fallon and I can remember her being a young teenager running at the NFR. She was 13 at her first NFR. She also has an amazing story how God gave her a second chance in life. 15 years ago she broke her vertebra in a horse accident and was not supposed to walk again. She is pretty amazing!! Now I am an even bigger fan. She was so sweet and personable to the girls. The girls were floating on cloud nine for the rest of the night.That was a moment the girls will remember for the rest of their lives.
The rodeo began with serpentine. The past 2 years, the
adult serpentine teams have been very unimpressive. They aren’t together, or
straight and it really likes like chaos. The youth team is so much more
polished and impressive. It is kind of sad to see the performance before a PRCA
rodeo with thousands watching. I am hoping for a change before Jayden and I try
out. Someday I hope to. The clouds were dark and the radar was very colorful
indication we were in the path of heavy rain and storms. Makenna’s mother was
texting me every few minutes. The rodeo had started and we were enjoying
ourselves. Nobody wanted to leave. We decided to wait until we felt rain and
then we would rush to the car. About 30 minutes into the rodeo the announcer
came on and said that in approx. 30 minutes a storm was going to hit with high
wind, heavy rains, and possible hail and tornado conditions. It didn’t take
long for people to start trickling out. When the bolt of lightning went across
the sky, we packed up our chairs and headed out. The lightning was bright and
close and continuous in the sky. Mark helped Allie get out of her parking spot with all the traffic, she was staying in town. A few minutes after getting home, the rain and
heavy winds came. Tornado warnings were close. The craziest part of it all,
the rodeo never stopped or was delayed, it kept going until the end. The girls realized even more, how lucky they were to get to see Fallon. She was supposed to be signing autographs when it the rodeo got over. Not on this night! I couldn’t help
but think of how dangerous and scary for all the spectators trying to get
out of there or maybe still watching, all the contestants having to stay and
compete, and all the horses, trailers, and campers that are camped there for
the weekend. We heard later that the tornado sirens were going off at the same
time as the fireworks at the end. The Farm Progress Show cancelled the third day of the show over talk of lightning miles away and tonight the rodeo kept on with all those thousands of people on the side of a hill while tornado warnings and storms were taking place. After the fact, we got to
see damage of a tornado that touched down at our Dayton farm only 4 to 5 miles away. We have
video footage recorded of the field taken by a drone.
The rest of our evening, we hung out in the basement to be safe while Makenna and Jayden watched home vidoes of my college barrel racing days and some of their youth rodeos. They begged to see my runs, every video brought back memories. I was blessed to have such a great horse, JOE.
On Instagram, Jayden has been following Fallon Taylor, famous NFR qualifier, PRCA barrel racer, and former model. She gives me almost daily updates on what Fallon is doing, where she is hauling, what she is selling, her latest fashion line, her horses, etc. You get the idea, she is a huge fan. Around 4:00 Jayden ran in to tell me Fallon posted she is on her way to Dayton. The excitement began. I told her to print a photo of her in case we can find her and get an autograph. Jayden texted Makenna, who was just as excited and ended up going with us. We were on a mission to find Fallon, but we had to be cool about it. The whole family got to the rodeo grounds an hour and half before it started. We had to stake out our same spot and hold it with lawn chairs. Then we ate some supper from the vendors at the top of the hill. The boys stayed with Mark while us girls went looking. Allie, Makenna, Jayden, and I casually walked through the contestants trailers. The girls spotted Fallon’s trailer and got all excited. Her horse, “Baby Flo” was still in the trailer. I told them most likely she is paying her entries. By this time it was about 15 minutes until rodeo start time. At the bridge there was a hospitality tent for contestants, and Jayden grabbed my arm and squealed, “there she is!” Jayden and Makenna were so giddy and excited, yet neither one of them was brave enough to go over and say something. After the BIG BOOM, Dayton always shoots off 5 minutes before the rodeo, I went over and asked if she would autograph for the girls. She was very bubbly and said, “Absolutely”. She was super sweet and friendly. I video taped the conversation and the girls were speechless. She asked them their horses name and gave them each a hug. I have been a fan of Fallon and I can remember her being a young teenager running at the NFR. She was 13 at her first NFR. She also has an amazing story how God gave her a second chance in life. 15 years ago she broke her vertebra in a horse accident and was not supposed to walk again. She is pretty amazing!! Now I am an even bigger fan. She was so sweet and personable to the girls. The girls were floating on cloud nine for the rest of the night.That was a moment the girls will remember for the rest of their lives.
The rodeo began with serpentine. The past 2 years, the
adult serpentine teams have been very unimpressive. They aren’t together, or
straight and it really likes like chaos. The youth team is so much more
polished and impressive. It is kind of sad to see the performance before a PRCA
rodeo with thousands watching. I am hoping for a change before Jayden and I try
out. Someday I hope to. The clouds were dark and the radar was very colorful
indication we were in the path of heavy rain and storms. Makenna’s mother was
texting me every few minutes. The rodeo had started and we were enjoying
ourselves. Nobody wanted to leave. We decided to wait until we felt rain and
then we would rush to the car. About 30 minutes into the rodeo the announcer
came on and said that in approx. 30 minutes a storm was going to hit with high
wind, heavy rains, and possible hail and tornado conditions. It didn’t take
long for people to start trickling out. When the bolt of lightning went across
the sky, we packed up our chairs and headed out. The lightning was bright and
close and continuous in the sky. Mark helped Allie get out of her parking spot with all the traffic, she was staying in town. A few minutes after getting home, the rain and
heavy winds came. Tornado warnings were close. The craziest part of it all,
the rodeo never stopped or was delayed, it kept going until the end. The girls realized even more, how lucky they were to get to see Fallon. She was supposed to be signing autographs when it the rodeo got over. Not on this night! I couldn’t help
but think of how dangerous and scary for all the spectators trying to get
out of there or maybe still watching, all the contestants having to stay and
compete, and all the horses, trailers, and campers that are camped there for
the weekend. We heard later that the tornado sirens were going off at the same
time as the fireworks at the end. The Farm Progress Show cancelled the third day of the show over talk of lightning miles away and tonight the rodeo kept on with all those thousands of people on the side of a hill while tornado warnings and storms were taking place. After the fact, we got to
see damage of a tornado that touched down at our Dayton farm only 4 to 5 miles away. We have
video footage recorded of the field taken by a drone. The rest of our evening, we hung out in the basement to be safe while Makenna and Jayden watched home vidoes of my college barrel racing days and some of their youth rodeos. They begged to see my runs, every video brought back memories. I was blessed to have such a great horse, JOE.
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